Today: East northeast wind at 5 mph becoming southwest. Sunny, with a high near 33°F.

Tonight: West wind around 6 mph becoming south southeast. Partly cloudy, with a low around 15°F.

Friday: South southwest wind around 7 mph. Sunny, with a high near 36°F.

Friday Night: West southwest wind around 9 mph. Mostly clear, with a low around 20°F.

Saturday: Southwest wind around 8 mph. Mostly sunny, with a high near 43°F.

Saturday Night: Southwest wind around 8 mph. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18°F.

Sunday: A slight chance of rain and snow showers after 11:00 am. Southwest wind between 8 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Mostly sunny, with a high near 40°F.

Sunday Night: A 30% chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22°F.

Monday: A 40% chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34°F.

Monday Night: A 30% chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19°F.

Tuesday: A chance of rain and snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 37°F.

Tuesday Night: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17°F.

Wednesday: A chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 36°F.

 Hazardous Weather  Gibbon Falls Forecast  Mammoth Forecast  Midway Forecast  Norris Forecast  Old Faithful Forecast 

Mountain Weather

A ridge of high pressure continues to build over the area and will bring more sun and warmer temperatures today. This morning temperatures were in the low-mid teens Fahrenheit, and westerly winds were averaging 10-15 mph with gusts of 20 mph in most places. They were much calmer further south near Lionhead and the Taylor Fork while further north in the Bridger Range they were blowing 30-35 mph. Today should be noticeably warmer with temperatures near 32 degrees Fahrenheit and westerly winds averaging 10 mph with gusts of 20 mph although stronger winds should continue in the Bridger Range.

Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion:

The Bridger, Madison and Gallatin Ranges, the mountains around Cooke City and the Lionhead area near West Yellowstone:

Yesterday the Bridger Bowl ski patrol found very sensitive wind slabs (2 to 14 inches deep) near the ridge that easily released with ski cuts and ran far downhill. These winds slabs were so reactive that the patrol was surprised some had not avalanched on their own. On Lone Mountain the Moonlight Basin ski patrol also triggered avalanches involving fresh wind slabs, and the Big Sky ski patrol noted a recent natural avalanche on Cedar Mountain.

Fresh wind slabs remain the primary avalanche concern. As temperatures rise today wet snow avalanches will also become a concern on South and West facing slopes. Fortunately these avalanche problems can be avoided with simple observations.

Buried facets create the third avalanche problem and require digging a snowpit to assess stability. Dig 4 feet deep and you will either find depth hoar near the ground (photo, video) or a thin layer of small facets. Both layers are adjusting to the weight of new snow that fell Tuesday and last weekend, and stability can vary from one slope to the next. With each passing day the odds of triggering an avalanche on these layers decreases but probably not as quickly as we'd like. Recent avalanches on Cedar Mountain (photos) near Big Sky illustrate the ability of these layers to produce avalanches. Additionally, a recent avalanche (3 to 5 feet deep) on Lionhead triggered by a falling cornice was spotted yesterday from the smokejumper base in West Yellowstone. For today, wind loaded slopes steeper than 35 degrees have a CONSIDERABLE Avalanche Danger. A MODERATE Avalanche Danger exists on less steep wind loaded slopes and all other slopes without a wind load.

   Recent avalanche in Utah   

A snowmobiler was caught and buried in an avalanche in Utah on Sunday. He was not wearing a beacon and was buried for about 20 minutes. He was incredibly lucky. Few people buried this long survive. Also, notice a recent avalanche on the adjacent slope. Recent avalanches are clear signs of unstable conditions: http://vimeo.com/38078462.

* * Accident Report * *

The accident reports for the avalanche fatality near Cooke City and the slide on Saddle Peak are now available. See this link.

* * * Last Saturday Francis Skierka from Cut Bank, Montana died in an avalanche in northwestern Montana near Marias Pass. Sadly his wife, Andrea, is pregnant and due in two months. A memorial fund to help Andrea and her baby has been established: The Francis Skierka Family Memorial, Stockman Bank, 125 West Main, Cut Bank MT 59427, 406-873-9400. * * *

The next advisory tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. If you have any snowpack or avalanche observations, drop us a line at mtavalanche@gmail.com or call us at: 406-587-6984.

For Audio, Photos, Videos, and More Detailed Information related to this report, Please Visit the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center.

~ EVENT ~

31st Annual Pinhead Classic

Come to Bridger Bowl on Saturday, March 17th (Saint Patrick's Day) with telemark skis, AT skis, alpine skis, snowboards, split boards, or even snow blades. The theme is Snowpocalypse based on the wildly popular Mayan 2012 apocalypse. $30 gets you into the races, a pint glass, t-shirt, a good time, a raffle ticket, and food by Cafe Fresco. Pre-register at Mystery Ranch or Grizzly Ridge: March 11-16. Visit http://pinheadclassic.com/ or the Pinhead Facebook Page for more info.

Beacon Parks

The Friends of the Avalanche Center installed a Beacon Training Park outside West Yellowstone. It's located south of town on the main snowmobile trail. Stop by and do a quick practice before heading off into the mountains!

EDUCATION, EVENTS, PHOTOS, SNOWPITS, and VIDEOS

1. We've recently uploaded more photos and snowpits to our web site, more than what are linked in the advisory.

2. We're creating a series of "How To…" stability test videos. So far we've got clips on performing a CT and ECT. There are located under Stability Tests on the Resources page.

3. Check out all our education programs, Click Here.

Information provided by Doug Chabot, Mark Staples, and Eric Knoff from the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. For Events and Education, or Photos and Videos, please visit the Avalanche Centers Website!

If you have any snowpack or avalanche observations, drop them a line at mtavalanche@gmail.com or call: 406-587-6984.

For detailed Avalanche Terms utilized here, please see the Avalanche Glossary.